ITEM CO 3/3
REUNION April 26,
27,& 28, 2006
MCRD Parris Island, SC
I want to thank all of you for the quilt and pillows that you
supported Joan Jones in making. They are real treasures. I am
attaching a picture of the Quilt and Pillows, the Quilt is a
twin bed size and it brings back some really good memories of
some fine people and times.
Well we had a good time on our Parirs Island
trip. This year our group included: John Beck, Dave & Sydney
Tucker, Wade & Jackie Thompson, Dick & Audry Squires,
Eric & Patty Trenck, Don & Joan Jones, Jim & Bonnie
Berhide, Bob & Barb Robarge, and Willie & Gail Versch.
We owe Eeic & Patty a big thank you for the time and effort
that they put into making this a reunion a success. I am sorry
to report that Stan Stinmetz passed away just after our 2004
reunion. I have heard from several people that couldn't make
this reunion, we need to keep them in our prayers and we look
forward to seeing them next time.
The Marine Corps provided a very nice
place for us to stay where we had a nice place to sit and visit
and just to prove that this was our old Marine Corps we had a
storm in the evening, part of the power went out and we spent
most of the night without air conditioning and some of us didn't
have lights, We had a problem finding a place to eat on the base
Thursday but we ate real well Friday in the mess hall with the
Boots.
On Thursday morning we drove to Beaufort SC.
for breakfast and then drove to Savannah, GA where we toured
the visitor's center and then took a guided tour of Savannah.
Savannah is an old town that was off of the tourist tract for
a long time so they have a lot of the old Savannah left. The
old part of Savannah is about a mile square and it has been restored
very nicely.
On Friday, we were joined on the tour
with five Marines from the North Lake Detachment Marine Corps
League, Leesburg, FL. A bus picked us up at the BOQ and we started
at 0740 with Morning Colors at the Base Headquarters. After the
Colors we went to Peatross Parade Deck where we attended the
"M" Company Graduation. "M" Company was four
platoons totaling about 380 Marines who had completed 12 weeks
of Boot Camp'. After the gradation we had a chance to meet
several of the young Marines. We then spent some time at the
Museum, and went to a mess hall for lunch. We had a very good
guide on this base tour. Cpl. Josh Shemanski demonstrated a thorough
knowledge of the base. It's history, and the training activities.
We visited the ISMT (Indoor Simulated
Marksmanship Trainer) area where the recruits Snap in with a
computer-monitored weapon. They have weapons with a lazar output
and they sight in on a target simulating 200, 300, 500 yds. and
when they pull the trigger the weapon has recoil and the computer
gives them a grade based on where they would have hit the target.
They have the M16, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M203 Grenade
Launcher, and an antitank weapon simulator called the AT-4 Tracer
Trainer. It was set up so that we could use the weapons.
Then we went to Leatherneck Square where
we saw five permanent duty personnel on the "Confidence
Course" (Obstacle Course). The Confidence Course includes
"the slide for life" they slide down a rope suspended
over water from a 60-ft A' Frame tower. The permanent duty
personnel have to qualify on the Confidence Course every year.
Then we saw a Platoon receiving Close Combat training Instructions.
We went to Page Field and saw the area
where they have the Crucible training area and we ended up at
the PX and the ladies enjoyed that.
This reunion was a good experience and
I think that everyone enjoyed it.
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